The Legendary Mechanic

by <unknown>

  After doing some thinking, Han Xiao thought to himself, Judging from the current situation, the day when the Modo Civilization gives up competing in the Flickering World because of my torture should probably be the day the second requirement of this mission is fulfilled.

  He had always wanted to obtain the three rewards for the second requirement. They were [The Enemy], [Proof of Leadership), and [Kunde Rage), all outstanding abilities, especially the semi-Molding Talent (Proof of Leadership) that had growth potential.

  Thinking of this, Han Xiao summoned Phillip in the quantum network and said, “Send the recording of me using the Spacetime Splicing Technology to defeat the Modo expeditionary army to the garrison of the Kunde Race. Tell them to repeat it in all their residential areas, making sure every prawn… ahem, everyone in the Kunde Race sees.”

  “Roger, hum!”

  Han Xiao’s battle against the Modo expeditionary army was very short. Phillip recorded everything. He was never one to quietly finish what he had to do. Since he had helped Kunde get their revenge, he was certainly going to make use of the recording to enhance his reputation in the Kunde Race. He had to make sure their entire race knew about what he had done for them. This would help with the progress of the mission too. After dealing with this, Han Xiao summoned Feidin, pulled him aside away from everyone else, and whispered, “Have you done what I asked you to do?”

  Feidin nodded. “In the past one and a half months, I’ve already swapped the souls of fifteen thousand Modo soldiers and middle-level officers. They will be our spies in the Modo expeditionary army.”

  He received a secret order from Han Xiao. When the Black Star Army fleet was attacking Modo’s line of defense, he had been using the Soul Swapper to swap some of the enemy soldiers, infiltrating the Modo expeditionary army and planting spies. The Modo Civilization had once used the Soul Swapper against the army, so Han Xiao had Feidin give them a taste of their own medicine. Given how special the Soul Swapper was, even if Modo prepared for it, they could not avoid it.

  “Well done.” Han Xiao nodded with satisfaction. He had already planted multiple chess pieces in the Modo expeditionary army’s territory. This way, he would have more sources of their internal intelligence. Not only would he be able to control the whereabouts of the Modo Civilization’s army, but he could also try to find the location of the secret transport route. He could take his time torturing them.

  “Give my order. Retreat temporarily. Let’s go back to the base and rest for some time,” Han Xiao said loudly. The officers present were all surprised.

  We have the upper hand now. Why are we retreating all of a sudden? Even if we’re not going to enter their line of defense, we should at least finish this battle.

  What they did not know was that Han Xiao was not doing this to give the Black Star Army time to rest but instead give the enemy time to rest. He had just killed the commanders of the Modo expeditionary army. He knew that they now had no leaders and would definitely be disorganized.

  He wanted to give Modo a little bit of hope so that he could crush that hope time after time in the future. This way, making Modo give up due to despair would be easier.

  Though confused, none of the officers would question the army commander’s order.

  Very soon, the majority of the army’s forces backed away out of the bloody battlefield and then retreated systematically.

  Seeing this, the Modo garrison of this line of defense were all confused.

  Aren’t we getting beaten up? Why did they suddenly stop half-way?

  “Weird. We have to report this to the command center immediately.” The fleet commander of this line of defense hastily went to report to the upper echelons.

  However, what he got was a long silence-no one picked up.

  After quite some time, he finally received the nightmarish news published on the internal network. Only then was he appalled to find out what had happened—the entire command center had been annihilated by Black Star!

  After adapting and modifying for about two decades, the new generations of the Kunde Race gradually got used to being in captivity, accepting the culture injected by the Crimson Dynasty and the Black Star Army. As the older prawns passed away naturally, the effects of the cultural modification operation on the entire race started to show. All the residential planets were singled out and could not contact the other planets. They had regained basic productivity, the streets were crowded, and the heavy and depressing atmosphere had become much better. The young generation had given the Kunde Race the vitality it needed.

  On this day, a huge event happened on this residential planet. Every screen on the planet was playing a video. The content of it was the recording of Han Xiao destroying the command center of the Modo expeditionary army. Phillip even kindly added some narration to explain what happened to help the Kunde Race understand what Han Xiao had done for them.

  Every member of the Kunde Race who saw the recording realized that Black Star was still living up to his promise, continuously avenging their race. Furthermore, Black Star even used their technology.

  Seeing the moment when the mechanical soldiers used the Spacetime Splicing Technology to destroy the command center, every member of the Kunde Race’s face lit up with excitement. They were filled with pride.

  Look, those who used us are no match for our strongest technology!

  This made them feel that they were not just watching Black Star avenge them but were actually helping.

  Along with pride was a strong sense of appreciation for Black Star.

  Throughout the years, not only did he protect them, but he never forgot his promise to them and brought them the justice they deserved… This incredible and kind man was their one and only god of protection. They felt blessed amid all the unfortunate things they had experienced

  The same thing was happening on every planet of the Kunde Race. Countless members of the Kunde Race gained more and more admiration for Black Star.

  Chapter 1178. Objectors |

  Inside a small private guest room, a few officers at the top level sat on the sofa and complained.

  “Sigh, the commanders of the expeditionary army got killed, but Black Star stopped attacking. He clearly wants to devour our armies again and again. The Three Kings are not giving up on the Flickering World no matter what, but what’s the point of sending in more forces? This is pure suicide if no Beyond Grade As are sent. Black Star has already proved that he has the ability to kill the commanders any time he wants.”

  The news of the expeditionary army’s commanders being killed had reached Modo. The Modo Three Kings summoned the upper echelons and hosted a meeting. Other than showing their rage, they quickly promoted new commanders from the expeditionary army and ordered the military to send more aid.

  At that time, the many officials did not display any objections on the surface, but many of them developed a stronger sense of objection inside. Hence, after the meeting ended, a few officials who were unhappy met privately.

  In the room, Marco had the highest position. He was the third in command of a mainstream political faction in Modo, so his words carried the most weight. He slowly said, “We can’t carry on like this. Modo has almost no chance in the Flickering World with Black Star standing in the way. Giving up as soon as possible is the rational choice. The longer this drags on, the more pressure Modo will face, collapsing in the end.”

  Someone sighed and said, “Exactly. Things are not stable inside the nation these days too… Many unofficial organizations of the three Universal Civilizations have started so-called ‘peaceful movements’ on various colonial planets. They’re using armed demonstrations, organized strikes, and so on to trigger the anti-war emotions of the society, forcing us to exit the war. Many industries have been severely affected. Some with ulterior motives are even spreading ideas of splitting the race up, bashing the policies, and promoting hatred, which actually turned around the way of living peacefully with other races we have been teaching for all these ye
ars and successfully worsened racism. Rebellious armies will certainly appear one day. Plus, important people are being assassinated by mysterious forces everywhere.”

  Marco shook his head. “Modo has made tremendous investments in the Flickering World for decades. It’s understandable that the Three Kings are not willing to give up easily. However, the situation has now changed. Adjusting our strategy is the top priority. Since we can’t deal with Black Star, continuing to spend resources in the Flickering World will just be a meaningless waste. It’s time to make the decision to minimize losses.”

  “That’s right. The Three Kings are just thinking about holding on till the Super Star Cluster Alliance succeeds, and at that time, we can benefit from it too. But the chances of us being able to hold on till the day the Super Star Cluster Alliance gets the upper hand… are too thin. Black Star won’t watch that happen too. He might be stalling with us now, but if we don’t keep sending in troops to keep him full, he’ll certainly launch an all-out attack and chase us out,” another person said.

  Marco took a sip of the dark ember colored wine and softly said, “Actually, since the beginning, I’ve never felt the Super Star Cluster Alliance will be able to invade the Flickering World successfully. There’s an eighty percent chance they’ll fail. This is just a desperate collective attempt by the other Super Star Cluster civilizations. Since that’s the case, getting out earlier, being free from the pressure from the three Universal Civilizations and the Black Star Army, and beginning our recovery earlier is a wiser choice for Modo instead.”

  “That’s right.”

  The others in the room agreed completely.

  Marco narrowed his eyes. “The more losses Modo suffers, the more people will object. Maybe it’s time for us to prepare for the impeachment operation…” Hearing this, the others were shocked. They were just complaining; they did not expect Marco to have plans for actually taking action.

  However, thinking about it, they felt this might not be a bad idea.

  Modo was a government formed by three civilizations, and each of the Three Kings represented one race. However, political stands and philosophies crossed the boundaries of races, so the political environment of the Modo Civilization was very complicated.

  Due to the unique political structure, Modo, of course, had to make sure it was balanced. The Three Kings could not do whatever they wanted; there were also structures similar to congress that restrained their power. If the path they chose during their term did not fit the interests of the majority or one of them was involved in a scandal, their term could be ended by impeachment.

  However, this kind of situation rarely happened. As long as the Three Kings did not do things that were hated by almost everyone during their terms, they would peacefully retire.

  “If the Three Kings insist on their choice, Modo will be gradually sucked dry. The future is dark. If they are really going to be stubborn, impeachment will be the only choice left,” Marco said.

  The people exchanged looks. Some were firm, and some were hesitant. They all lowered their voices and softly discussed how exactly they could execute the plan.

  At this moment, the objectors of the war started to plan on how to backstab the Three Kings. The root of it was that Black Star’s strength made some of the Modo upper echelons hopeless; they did not see how they could turn things around.

  Inside the Modo Civilization’s territory, a silver stealth-type high warp speed spaceship hovered in a cluster of nebulas, slowly moving. There was no symbol on its exterior armor.

  Inside the cabin, Lothaire and a few other officers of the Assassin’s Society sat around a virtual screen, browsing the information on it. Rows of portraits were displayed on the screen, all influential people from various industries of the Modo Civilization. Some already had a red cross above their head, meaning the assassination was complete.

  “Internally, Modo is a mess. The leaders of some industries being assassinated caused the local management system of some colonial planets to almost collapse. Our work is very effective,” an officer said coldly.

  “Hmm.”

  Lothaire was staring at the screen, seemingly looking for their next prey.

  The Assassin’s Society had been doing work for many months in Modo. They had already caused quite a lot of chaos. While being chased, wanted, and hunted by the officials, they were still continuing their work and hiding at the same time.

  “Our actions over the past few days have been too aggressive. We’ve lost some men too. It’s time to lie low for a while,” an officer suggested. Lothaire nodded. He then shook his head and said, “We’ll hide temporarily, then do a big one.”

  Then, he extended his finger and pointed at one of the portraits on the screen.

  The officers present followed his finger. Their expressions all turned stiff as horror and disbelief appeared in their eyes.

  The target Lothaire had chosen was one of the Modo Three Kings!

  “You want to assassinate the highest leader of a Super Star Cluster civilization?” An officer opened his eyes wide. “Are you insane!”

  “They have three leaders. Losing one is nothing.” Lothaire’s tone was calm. “I’ll do it myself.”

  “Do you know the nature of this action? If you succeed, the Modo Civilization will become our eternal enemy. Furthermore, there’s absolutely no chance of succeeding. The Modo Three Kings are heavily guarded. There’s no chance of getting close at all. Plus, there’s no way of assassinating them if they don’t leave their mother planet,” someone said with a hasty tone.

  For once in a blue moon, Lothaire actually explained himself. “Firstly, we’re Modo’s eternal enemies to begin with. Secondly, the Modo Three Kings have many guards, but no Beyond Grade A guards are present on the surface, Calamity Grades at most, which isn’t beyond my abilities. Thirdly, the Modo mother planet doesn’t have the Psionic Seal Ring like the three Universal Civilizations’ mother planets have, so infiltration is totally possible.”

  At a glance, assassinating one of the Modo Three Kings was an impossible mission. However, after doing some analysis, he realized that it was not completely impossible. After all, although the Three Kings were leaders, they were not individuals with great strength. Furthermore, he had (Deity Assassinator) in his hands. Even if the Three Kings had magical defense runes, this weapon would be able to penetrate them. The main problem was, whether the assassination was successful or not, getting away afterward would be extremely difficult.

  The others were in dismay like this was the first time they had met Lothaire. Even though they were all assassins who had killed many important people, this was still an extremely daring plan in their eyes.

  “Easy to say, but executing it is complete suicide!”

  “Everything is possible. Sometimes, all you need is a little bit of luck.” Lothaire narrowed his eyes. The people there did not know what he was thinking, nor did he plan to explain further.

  Due to Rossellin and the three Universal Civilizations’ operations, the internal racial issues and racist philosophies were gradually becoming more severe. If he could assassinate one of the Three Kings at this time and find a way to blame it on the extremists of the other two races, it might further stimulate the conflict and make these philosophies explode. The results were not difficult to imagine.

  Sure, the method was a little bit dirty, but as an assassin, Lothaire did not care if the method was ethical or not. He was only concerned if it was effective and could achieve his goal. It could be said that he would do anything necessary to achieve his goals.

  He had been operating in the outside world for decades; he was no longer just a pure assassin. He had gradually learned to analyze the big picture. Although Black Star did not specifically instruct him on what to do, Lothaire was very clear of Black Star’s goal. He was more than happy to use swifter methods to deal greater damage to Modo that was more powerful than just an assassination.

  Of course, assassinating Modo’s highest leader and pinnin
g it on racism was just an idea. It was extremely difficult and impossible to complete with just the Assassin’s Society.

  However, the three Universal Civilizations’ forces in Modo’s territory were a natural help. Lothaire planned to create a fuse so that they could operate around it, just like how the philosophy tide they created gave him the idea of assassinating one of the Modo Three Kings.

  Boom!

  A red silhouette fell onto a desolate planet like a meteor, crashing a crater on the planet surface.

  Blood flowed out from the tip of Hila’s lips. Her body was embedded into the ground. As she pulled herself out, Han Xiao suddenly appeared right above him, and a powerful kick swept onto her abdomen.

  Boom!

  The little bit of death energy she had just gathered got scattered by one kick. A shockwave erupted with a loud explosion noise.

  Having been heavily hit in the abdomen, Hila’s body bent like a shrimp as she shot out like a rocket for dozens of miles, leaving a long fissure behind.

  “Are we going to continue? I’ve already been beating you for eleven hours. If I remember correctly, you’ve already been close to death three times and fainted five times.”

  Han Xiao stood with his arms crossed and sighed.

  “Humph, are you going to praise me for being energetic? Never mind, let’s call it a day. But don’t forget, this is just the third time.” Hila wiped away the blood on her lips, rubbed her stomach, and stood up.

  Hearing this, Han Xiao’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

  He was now fulfilling the agreement he made back then to spar with Hila thirty times. Now there were twenty-seven times left. As Han Xiao thought of this number, he could almost feel his waist hurting.

  This was a certain location near Black Star Palace. He had returned from the free competition zone long ago.